


The Sides of a Coin

by ChaoticWriterCrazy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brother-Sister Relationships, Drabble, Gen, Good Slytherins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-21 14:03:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9552125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticWriterCrazy/pseuds/ChaoticWriterCrazy
Summary: "There aren’t as many whispers, but the ones that exist are of surprise. They didn’t know Harry Potter had a sister, a twin sister no less since she was in the same year. Most people were at least aware of her existence, however. She was the baby in the other crib next to Harry’s when Voldemort came after their parents. Most people glossed over her though; she wasn’t the ‘Boy Who Lived’ after all. Harry was the one with the scar, the one that Voldemort could not kill. She just happened to be there, she was a lucky survivor since she would have been next if Harry had not defeated Voldemort.She wasn’t really anything to get worked up about."





	1. Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> This is a quick drabble I came up with because I rapidly fell in love with the idea of Harry having a sibling who's in Slytherin during the events of Harry Potter. I don't know if I'll turn this into a full-fledged re-write of the entire series, right now this is just a small snippet to get a feel for what I would want it to be if I ever got to it.

“GRYFFINDOR!” The hat cried,

The Gryffindor table burst into uproarious applause as Harry Potter walked stiffly towards the farthest right table. No one was really surprised, but the Gryffindors were still pleased none the less that they got the famous Boy Who Lived among their ranks.

Once the din had died down, Mcgonagall called out another name,

“Potter, Shana.”

There aren’t as many whispers, but the ones that exist are of surprise. They didn’t know Harry Potter had a sister, a twin sister no less since she was in the same year. Most people were at least _aware_ of her existence, however. She was the baby in the other crib next to Harry’s when Voldemort came after their parents. Most people glossed over her though; she wasn’t the _‘Boy Who Lived’_ after all. Harry was the one with the scar, the one that Voldemort could not kill. She just happened to be there, she was a lucky survivor since she would have been next if Harry had not defeated Voldemort.

She wasn’t really anything to get worked up about.

Harry was the only one actively hoping she’d be in Gryffindor alongside him. She always had been his first and only friend. While it didn’t matter to him if she didn’t end up in the same house, he still hoped she would. They had never been separated before in their lives, even in classes they always sat next to each other. He honestly couldn’t imagine her not being by his side. Plus, as far as he was concerned, Shana was the bravest person he knew. She had to be in Gryffindor too.

Everyone else took her being in Gryffindor as a given. Where else would she end up? She was Harry Potter’s twin sister, she couldn’t end up anywhere except in good old Gryffindor right?

Shana approaches the hat, looking like she’s about to cry from nerves. She looks so much like Lily that Snape feels like his heart is trying to rip itself in two. Neither of the Potter twins knows this. They also don’t know the funny painful jolt in his gut as he watches her cart her fingers through her wavy dark red hair in a manner disturbingly familiar.

There isn’t much fanfare as she finally sits down on the stool, posture closed and nervous, big round hazel eyes catching Harry’s almond bottle-green ones just before they disappear underneath the hat.

There’s silence.

No one notices how Snape frowns and sits up even straighter, staring at Shana with a confused look. The hat had not wasted a single second before declaring Lily a Gryffindor, much like how it had with the Malfoy boy for Slytherin. But the hat seemed to be taking its time with Shana, who is stiller than a statue with her hands clenched on her knees.

Was the hat considering other Houses?

Probably Ravenclaw, Lily had always been smart-

“SLYTHERIN!” The hat roars, looking exceptionally pleased with its decision though no one really noticed. They were too busy gawking at the little girl who now peaked out timidly from under the hat’s rim.

Snape somehow avoids letting his jaw drop, his mind a swirl of confused and conflicting emotions.

Shana Potter, Lily’s daughter, was in _Slytherin?_

He honestly couldn’t tell if he was happy with this development, or if this was a cruel joke that fate was playing on him.

Harry meanwhile feels a wave of crushing disappointment tinged with horror. Shana, in Slytherin? The house full of unpleasant looking people? The house that prat Mafloy had gone to? The house that _the man who murdered their parents_ belonged to?! The house _‘every wizard who ever went bad’_ belonged to?! How could sweet and quiet Shana end up _there_?!

The irrational part of his brains wonders if his decision against Slytherin had unintentionally sent Shana there in his place. Perhaps there was some quota he wasn’t aware of the Hat had to meet. Or maybe this was revenge for going against the Hat’s first decision. He wonders if maybe they could switch places, because he would rather go to Slytherin himself than let Shana fend for herself.

He nearly jumps to feet to do exactly this when he sees how glossy her eyes had gone, staring around looking mortified, until all of the sudden the silence is shattered.

His head snaps towards the Slytherin table, which had broken into a round of applause almost rivaling the Gryffindor table. They’re all giving each other incredulous smiles, like they were stunned but overjoyed to have Shana join them. The only one who remained silent was Malfoy who looked like he swallowed a lemon.

He turned back to Shana in time to see her hand the hat back to Mcgonagall. He didn’t know the teacher well enough to notice the small disappointed glimmer in her eyes. Even if he did know her well enough, he was more focused on Shana’s expression.

She was _smiling_ , not a brave sort of grimace people put on when they didn’t want others to worry. She looked _relieved_. Ecstatic even as she bounded over to the table farthest from them, quickly wiping away leftover tears.

And just like the Gryffindors had with Harry, the Slytherins gave her a warm welcome. Several older boys ruffled her hair like she was a long lost sister, an older girl with glossy brown braids hugged her like Aunt Petunia would hug Dudley, a first year girl with pale blonde hair eagerly tugged Shana to sit down with her.

In the short while it took for everything to calm down, Shana had the biggest grin Harry had seen since their trip to Diagon Ally. Their eyes met for a brief moment and her grin only became bigger before she waved at him eagerly.

He waved back, uncertainty squirming in the pit of his stomach. He still didn’t like the idea of Shana being in Slytherin, not when he had yet to hear a positive thing about it.

But Shana was his sister. Nothing was going to change that.

And if she was with them then they couldn’t possibly be all bad.

Right?


	2. Shana's Conversation with the Hat

_‘So here’s the other Potter,’_ The hat’s voice said in her head.

Shana honestly wasn’t sure what she expected when she put on the hat, but a voice in her head definitely wasn’t it. She had to resist the temptation to yank it off in alarm.

The hat chuckled,

_“You’ve got good instincts. Normally speaking having a voice other than your own in your head is a bad sign, especially where magical items are concerned. But don’t worry, this won’t take long. Let’s see now,”_

Shana waited as she heard the hat make thoughtful sounds.

_“A lot like your brother aren’t you, good head on your shoulders, plenty of courage, a nice thirst to prove yourself. You’re a bit more thoughtful though; don’t like to take things at face value. And I see a real budding passion for magic and all it entails. Tough one though, so where should I put you?_

After muttering to itself incoherently the Hat finally asked her,

_‘I suppose you’ll want to be put in Gryffindor like your brother?”_

She stiffened, gulped, before biting her lower lip.

_‘No.’_

_‘No?’_

_‘Please don’t put me in Gryffindor.’_ She thought. _‘Put me anywhere else. I don’t want to go to Gryffindor. Anywhere but Gryffindor.’_

_‘Anywhere but Gryffindor, eh? It’s rare I get a request like that. It’s usually Slytherin people want to avoid. May I ask why you want to avoid Gryffindor?’_

‘… _because I don’t want to stay in Harry’s shadow. Ever since we found out we’re magical, Harry…Harry’s always been the one people recognize first. They always want to talk to him first, he’s the special one who defeated this great evil wizard when we were babies and I get it. I_ get _why he’s famous, sort of, and I don’t blame him for it. And I get he doesn’t_ want _the fame either it’s just…it’s there and we can’t really do anything about it so…I…I just can’t always follow him around anymore. Not if I want to make a name for myself, not if I want people to recognize me for_ me _.’_

‘ _But that doesn’t mean you have to be in a completely different house than him.’_ The hat said, and Shana couldn’t help but feel like he was goading something from her. ‘ _Gryffindor has a renowned reputation for producing the greatest and most heroic wizards who ever lived. A brave and curious girl like you would thrive there. Wouldn’t that be a great place to make your mark?’_

 _‘But that’s where everybody expects me to go. I’m just…I’m sort of the extra Potter. Harry’s famous Boy Who Lived, and I’m…I’m just his sister who happened to be there. I don’t want it be like that forever. I don’t want to be the extra Potter. I want to be Shana, I want my name to be known_ alongside _Harry’s, not as an aside note for the history books to mention. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but being in a separate house seems like a good start. So please, put me anywhere. Anywhere I can make a name for myself. Just not in Gryffindor.’_

The hat chuckled once again,

_‘Fascinating. Fascinating indeed. Well then, when you put it like that, I can’t see a better place for you than-‘_

“SLYTHERIN!”


End file.
